Cocktails were served in a totally
dark space that could hold up to 100 people. The blind community was called upon
to assist, but the rest of the guests didn’t know this.
People yelled so loudly that the music was barely audible. On her way out,
one blind woman commented that, "When people don’t see they think
if they talk louder they’ll be more easily understood". Some hairy
thing made its way through the packed crowd: a blind guest’s seeing-eye
dog. Using an infrared camera, we saw kisses and furtive fondling... People tended
to gather in the corners and move through the crowds with their hands on each
other’s waists. Not seeing gave people the freedom to change groups without
feeling judged and listen in on other people’s conversations without being
seen. Good-looking women complained that no one paid attention to them.
"I touched some guy’s shirt and told him: 'What a cool shirt. What’s
it like?' And he answered: 'You can see it when we get out'. And, of course,
I thought, well I’m not going to see it when we leave either..."
An mmmm... action for Radio 3 at La Casa
Encendida.